Learning the Secret Ingredient for Big Dreams

Have you ever watched a child playing with bubbles? First trying to form the bubbles, but so many popping as tiny wisps, never taking shape. When they finally get the bubbles to form and hold together, chasing them and trying to grab them, only to have the bubbles pop. Then, once in a while, a bubble forms that is strong enough to catch some air and float high into the sky.

I tried to set up bubble play in our yard last summer. I thought we’d make giant bubbles, so I set up the plastic baby pool, bought small hula hoops and proceeded to make bubble juice. I poured in water from the hose, added dish soap. and stirred, thinking this was all I needed. Simple summer fun…

Only the bubbles wouldn’t hold together. They weren’t strong enough with just water and soap, plus my vigorous stirring had created too many small bubbles in the water. I turned to Pinterest for the solution and found the secret ingredient I needed was glycerin. The instructions also said the bubbles would be stronger if I stirred less and let the juice sit for a while, even overnight.

Aren’t our dreams often like these bubbles? As we begin to dream, we catch sight of the brief wisps of ideas and images, yet we’re unable to fully form them in our minds. The dreams just won’t hold together long enough to catch them and put words to the ideas popping though our minds. The more we stir and try to force the process, we get a lot of small bubbles, but not the big ones that take flight.

Big dreams need a big God as the catalyst for formation

I thought I could just add my own talents, experience, and wishes to the water of my life, but that’s not enough. I couldn’t get the dreams to take form and hold their shape. I was surrounded by wisps of dreams, snatches of ideas but nothing I could put words around.

So, what is the secret ingredient for our dreams? Big dreams need a bigger God who can be the catalyst to help them take form and shape. I can only take my dreams so far on my own, but to dream the really big dreams – the life-changing ones – I need God as my secret ingredient.

Patience allows God to permeate our dreams to give them shape and strength

As I’ve been inviting God into the dreaming process, He’s starting to show me a few bubbles taking shape. A few I can chase and try to catch – my practice dreams. I’ve needed to put in the time to let His power take hold, though. To let my faith begin to permeate every part of my being, before the bubbles really begin to strengthen and take shape.

Stillness allows God space to speak to our hearts

I needed to stop agitating the water with my own impatience and allow God to work within me. Give Him space to work in my life and lead me to His dreams for my life. It wasn’t until I was still and silent that God was able to speak to my heart. Once the clutter made by my own stirring had calmed, God was able to begin forming dreams in my heart.

I just caught sight of the first “good” bubble, one that came fully formed and wrapped in words. I’m not sure how I’ll catch it or if it’ll be strong enough to find wind and soar, but it’s a start. Bold, audacious, and seemingly unattainable – but that’s usually how God’s dreams come.

This strong bubble gave me hope for dreams to come.

Hope that with God’s help I’ll have patience to let Him fully soak into my life.

Hope that He’ll strengthen my dreams and fully form them into something I can really chase.

Hope that He’ll lead me to catch one – or, better yet, to form a dream that takes flight.

Hope for each of us that we’ll find the dreams God has planned for our lives.

Oh, This is good! “Big dreams need a big God…” Yup! I’m beginning to find that ALL my dreams need God, big and small (the dreams, not God – He’s always more than I can imagine!) You definitely have a talent for taking an everyday situation and finding the lesson in it. I haven’t made bubbles for a long time – my daughter is 24 – but I have grandkids coming over at the end of the week. I think I might follow your directions…ALL of them! I’m your neighbor at RaRAlinkup.

“I needed to stop agitating the water with my own impatience and allow God to work within me.” What a lesson that is for me! I’m such a bubble stirrer! Thank you for such a vivid picture that I will surely take with me and learn from. Visiting today from the #RaRalinkup

This is so lovely and encouraging! So glad to have found you via Testimony Tuesday! Dreams used to be bubbles that popped quick for me because…in this metaphor we’ll say the environment I was blowing those bubbles in was quite windy. But lately it seems the Lord has been putting them together and making them stronger and oh how the stillness and soaking makes you feel powerless -but what He can do!! I’m not writing well at the moment, too excited by your words!! Thank you!

I am absolutely captivated by this post. You caught so many of my bubbles and put them into words, only I never would have thought to describe them as such. What a gift to me and so many others I’m sure. I’ll percolate on this all day! Thank you!

Oh, yes – how inept we are at making bubbles at the start. Reminds me of the time my daughter was given a straw to blow bubbles with at a science museum – and instead of blowing through it, she took a big drink of the bubble juice. Yuck! Maybe a lesson that we can’t keep our dreams all to ourselves or we’ll make ourselves sick. 🙂

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Hi, I'm Kathryn! I'm glad you're here to journey with me! I'm just an ordinary girl following an extraordinary God, learning to seek God's possible in this world of impossible. Fueled by loads of coffee, I'm passionate about helping and encouraging you along this journey, too! Let's step forward together and learn practical ways to live into God's possible! Click to learn more...